Knitting machine



Sept. 24, 1940. T SM|TH ET AL KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 9, 1937 '7 Shee-ts-Sheet l Fig. 2.

Sept. 24, 1940. T, SM|TH y ET AL 2,216,051

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 9. 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 24, 1940. T SMITH ET Ax.

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 9. 1937 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 l E s .IFI-Irivhluumhnl m VmHWVWwTW M2 W E .2m E w mE LN ATTORNEYS' sept. 24, 1940. v T, SM|TH ET AL KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 9. 1957 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 llllllllllllll @Meur Sept. 24, 1940. T, sMlTH Er AL 2,216,051

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Shepl.. 9, 1957 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 24, 1940. T. SMITH ET Ax.

KNITTING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 9. 1937 4770/?/VEKI T. SMITH ET AL KNITTING MACHINE Sept. 24, 1940.

Filed sept. 9. 19:51

Fig. 13.

`7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Arron/vf vs Patented Sept. 1940. v

UNlTEe 's'rAF-I'Es mom Smith, George Henry Woolley, and Isaac Hall, Shepshed, England Appumion september 9, 1937, serai N0. 163,136 In Great Britain February 25, 1937 11 claims. (01; ss-izs) 'Ihis invention is for improvements iii-and relating to knitting and knitting machines and is chiefly concerned with effecting improvementsv in the production of intarsia fabric. Intarsia fabric is weft knitted fabric composed of a plurality of different weft yarns which are substituted one ifor another at predetermined intermediate points in each or certain of the courses so that a given course consists of a predetermined number of stitches of one yarn followed by a predetermined number of stitches of another yarn withoutthe withdrawn yarn oating behind the yarn substituted for it. In other words, one yarn is fed to and kintted by one groupfef the needles and angroups of the needles in the same course, means for-lapping said weft threads around the end other yarn is then fed to and knitted by a succeeding group of the needles.

In order to effect a good joint at the point of change-over between two yarns (i. e., at .the line of demarkation between two differently coloured areas of the pattern) it is necessary to have a certain amount of-over-lap. In Athe production of such fabric on any machine other than one (such for example as a, hand frame, hand frames being` largely employed for the production of intarsia patterns) in whichv the laying of the threads is controlledvby hand, this over-lap is usually in the order lof three needles, thatis to say. there are three stitch loops at the line of demarkation that are knitted of boththreads, and hence thisv line of demarkation is not so clear as is desirable.

It is an important object of this invention to avoid this disadvantage, particularly by the provision of mechanism whereby the over-lapA may be restricted to one needle, and to facilitate the production of intarsia fabric upon a Cottons Patent or straight bar knitting machine. According to this invention, in the production of intarsia patterns both threads (i. e., the threads knitted on successive groups of needles) are wrapped around one and the same needle. v

The invention provides a knitting machine having a line of needles, a plurality of weft thread feeders, means for operating them each to supply its thread to a different group of the needles, which groups are contiguous and over-lap tothe extent of at least one needle, -means for lapping the fed threads around said over-lap needle or needles, and means for causing the needles to knit courses of weft stitches from said fed threads.

As will readily be understood, such a vmachine is of the greatest lutility and has the greatest patterning scope if means or provided for varying reciprocally the number of needles inthe groups; that is to say, course after course the number of needles in one group is either increased or decreased, the number of needles in the adjacent group being simultaneously and equally decreased or increased as the case may be. 'I'he invention also includes the provision in a knitting machine for making intarsia work, of means for lapping the fed weft threads around the over-lap needle or needles.

The invention is chiefly concerned with straight bar or Cottons Patent machines. According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided in traversing said carriers over diiferent successive needles of the groups, and means for causingthe needles to knit. The invention also includes ato lap its thread around at leastone needle. In

referring to the needles, by the back is meant the plain side thereof and by the front is meant the hooked or bearded side; in referring hereinafter to a Cottons Patent machine by the front thereof is meant the s ide at which the operator stands and towards which the fabric is drawn cfr the needles. Hence the back of the line of needles is presented to the front of such a chine.

In order that the invention-may be better understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a sock produced according to this invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged view showing the front facevof a portion of the fabric thereof,

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the carrier movements for producing the courses shown in Fig. 2,

Figures 4 and 5 are respectively an end view and a front elevation of a Cottons Patent or straight-bar knitting machine according to this invention, but omitting certain parts which are a well understood and are not necessary scription of the invention. y

Figure 6 is a detail thereof, Figure 7 is a plan, of an end portion of said machine, showing the stops for the carrier rods,

Figure 8 is an end elevation of mechanism for shogging certain warp rthread carriers, known as embroidery carriers,

to a de- Figures 9 and 1o Vare .details of sani snoggmg mechanism,

Figures 11-15 inclusive are enlarged views i1- lustrating the action of the weft thread carriers. Before proceeding to a description of the mechanism by which this invention is carried into effect it will be convenient rst to describe .the characteristic features of thesproduct of that invention. In Fig. 1 there is shown a fully-fashioned sock patterned by different coloured diamonds, such as A and B, knitted from different threads. Diamonds are shown by way of example because they are the most usual form of pat-l tern adopted in intarsia work, but the invention may be applied to intarsia patterns in which the respective .areas are of other shapes. In. Fig. 2 there is shown a portion of the fabric, including the line of junction between two diamonds or other areas, the courses being numbered l to 6 inclusive and the wales being lettered C to H inclusive. It will be seen that the top left-hand portion is knitted from the thread b while the bottom right-hand portion is knitted from the thread a, corresponding respectively to the areas marked Band Ain Fig. 1. At the line of division, however, the selvedged edges of the two areas overlap, for in each course both threads are knitted into one common loop. Thus, for eX- ample, in course 1 the threads a, b, are knitted into one loop in wale C and in course 2 they are both knitted into one loop in wale D. Because of this restricted overlap the line of demarkation between the two areas is more abrupt and the pattern definition is better than is usual in intarsia fabric produced solely by mechanical means. This eiect is achieved by feeding the two threads to different consecutive portions of the line of needles, but with an overlap of at least one needle between said portions and by lapping the said threads around the overlap needle. 'I'he thread carrier movements for producing these six courses which it has been elected to illustrate in Fig. 2 are more clearly shown in Fig. 3. In this figure the movements for each course are numbered 1 to 6 respectively and the needles on which the wales C to H of Fig. 2 are produced are indicated by circles numbered respectively Inc to Inh. In course 1 the traverse to the right of the carrier feeding the thread a commences at the left-hand side of the-needle Inc and the traverse of the carrier feeding the thread b ends at the right of that needle. Therefore both threads are fed to this needle, which is the overlap needle, and are knitted by it. At the end of the traverse, however, the carrier for the thread b is swung to the back of the line of needles and is then shogged one needle space to the right. It is shogged through one needle space because in each course the overlap is displaced by one wale. Were it desired to displace the overlap by more than one wale, then of course, the shogging machine could be greater than one needle space inextent. y

In the second course the traverse to the left of the carrier for the thread a is restricted by a like amount so that it ends at the left of needle Ind. Preparatory, however, to the traverse of the carrier for thread b to the left the carrier is moved to the front of the line of needles. Hence both threads are fed to the needle IIld, it being understood that the traverse of the two carriers is simultaneous. A't the end of said traverse to the left of the carrier for the thread a said carrier is swung to the back of the line of needles and is shogged backwards (i. e., in the direction in which the overlap is displaced) by one needle space. As a result of these movements both threads are lapped around the overlap needle Ind and are knitted by it.

Prior to the commencement of course 3 the carrier for thread a is moved to the front of the line of needles between needles Id and Ille, it is then traversed to the right. The traverse at the front of the needles of the carrier for thread b terminates between needles Ille and If so that in this course both'threads are fed to needle IIIe. The said carrier is at the termination of the traverse swung tothe rear of the line of needles, between said two needles, and is shogged one needle space to the right behind needle I0f, for it is around said needle that both threads have to be lapped in course 4.

To put the matter generally, the traverse of the yarn' carriers I3, I 4 (Figs. 4 and 5) is so controlled that at the end of its traverse at an intermediate point in the division of needles any one carrier lays its yarn in front of the rst needle to which yarn has been supplied bythe next carrier, so that there is an overlap of one needle between the two yarns. Moreover before making its return traverse in the reverse direction said carrier is passed through the needles and is shogged one needle space either in the reverse direction. if at the next course that particular yarn is to be knitted by a lesser number of needles (as is the case with yarn a in Figs. 2 and 3) "'or in the same direction if at the next course that yarn is to be knitted by a greater number of needles (as in the case of yarn b in Figs. 2 and 3) and is then moved through the needles to the front thereof preparatory to making the return traverse. This shogging is effected and the extent of the traverse is controlled by adjustable stops at the end of the machine as is hereinafter described.

In order to permit of the movement of the carriers transversely of the line of needles each carrier rod is provided with a longitudinal slot I5 (Fig. 5) the length of which is determined by the maximum traverse required of that carrier. These slots are provided all at about the same place in the length of the carrier rods thereby permitting at least one support bar such as is indicated at I6 to pass through the slots in all carrier rods. Desirably an anti-frictional roller encircles the said bar within each slot. 'Ihis transverse bar is supported beneath a carrier block I'I in which all the carriers are guided, the said block being itself transilxed by a stationary rod I8 extending along the length of the machine so that the block may rock upon saidrod and'in its rocking movements may cause the yarn carriers to move across the line of the needles I0.

It is also desirable however, to impart a rising and dipping movement to the yarn carriers. For this purpose. the said support rod I8 extends through a slot I8 in the block. This slot has a vertical upper part terminating in a lower part that is inclined downwards towards the front of the machine. Hence, when the block is raised, the first part of the movement (during which the support rod I9 engages the vertical part of the slot) results in the main in an upward movement of the carriers; the latter part of the movement of the block' (during which the support rod is engaged in the inclined part of the slot) also results in the carriers being swung towards the rear of the machine, that is to say, from the back or plain side of the needles towards the front or bearded side thereof. These rising and falling moveioI `ments are imparted to the block by suitable link work from a cam 20 on the main shaft2| of the machine.

In a multi-division machine, it is desirable to provide a plurality of such blocks and their associated mechanism.

The rising and falling movement of the carriers is necessary to ensure rstly, that when the carriers are at the front of the Yneedles they are above the top edge of the sinkers I I and so do not interfere with the loop sinking and measuring advance of the latter, and secondly, that the thread bar which is passed behind (i. e., at the plain side) of the last needle of a group is looped unl derneath the bottom edge of the adjacent sinker.

In order to facilitate this passage of the laploop beneath the bottom edge of the last sinker, the sinkers employed differ somewhat from the sinkers normally employed in Cottons Patent machines. Instead of having a round neb below the throat, the upper edge of the neb IIa terminates at a sharp point whence the front-edge slopes backwards (i. e., towards the butt) until it meets the lower edge. The angle of this front edge is approximately the same as is the angle of the front edge of the throat or catch II b.

The complete movement of each yarn carrier therefore, comprises the following stages:

1. Yarn laying traverse.

2. Passage through the needlesfrom front to back. This movement is accompanied by a small dip.

3. A shog of one needle space.

4. An upward movement to bring the lower end of said carrier above the top edge of the sinkers so that it does not obstruct their forward advance. At this stage, the slur-cock 22 is traversed to sink the loops, the needles sink in knitoverlap needle shown, and is about to commence its transverse (upwards from the plane of the paper). their traverse and carrier I4 has been moved lthrough the needles to the back, dipping in such movement. The yarn ais thus passed around the overlap needle which was the first needle to which the yarn b was fed. The said carrier I4 is now shogged one needle space in the reverse direction and is raised somewhat. Simultaneously the sinkers advance, as shown in Fig." 13, and the yarn a is caught beneath the sinker next to the overlap needle. The needles now knit, and the sinkers recede, as in Fig. 14, while at' the next stage, shown in Fig. 15 the carrier is swung to the frontof the needles and is simultaneously raised, ready to lay a new course in thevreverse direction. As av result it will be noticed that the yarn a is lapped around the overlap needle shown in Fig. 15.

In order to permit of these movements of the carriers, each carrier rod is connected at 'the rear to a friction box 23 by means of two converging` pivoted compound links (24, Fig. 5).

Because alll the carriers operating to feed In Fig. 12 the carriers have completed y threads to a division of needles complete their traverse/7A before the sinkers advance, it is necessary to have two draws, one for the carriers and one for the slur-cock. Therefore, two draw cams 25 and A26 (Fig. 5) are provided, together with mechanism for connecting them to the main shaft of the machine at the appropriate periods. Moreover, the sinkers are all jack sinkers, being operated by the slur-cock to sink loops atevery needle space.`

'I'he draw cam 25 on a cross shaft 21 operates the draw bar 28 which is connected by appropriate mechanism to the holder 22a of the slurcock 22. .Likewise the draw cam 26 on the cross shaft 29 operates the draw bar30 which is connected by appropriate mechanism to the friction box which is shown at 23. v f

The mechanism by which the cross shafts 21 and 2lfor the two kdraw cams, are periodically connected to the main shaft 2| is shownin detail in Fig. 6. Fixed to the main shaft there are two dog clutch members 3I and 32 co-operating respectively with loose `'bevels 33, 34, which bevels mesh respectively with bevels on the shafts 21, 29.

- According to Whether the main shaft is shogged to the right or to the left one or other of these bevels 33, 34, is clutched thereto, and one or other of the shafts 21, 29 is driven. In the position shown in the drawings the shaft 29 and the draw i cam 26 are driven. I

As the main shaft continues to rotate from the position shown a cam ange 35 moves into contact with a truck 36-on a lever 31 attached to a rock shaft 38, this rock shaft being held against endwise movement by-means indicated diagrammatically at 39 and 391. As a result the main shaft is moved to the left so that the bevel 34 is de-clutched and the bevel 33 clutched to said shaft, and the cam 25 is driven instead of the cam 26. At the next revolution it is necessary to the mainshaft co-operating witha truck 42 carried by a rocking lever 43. This latter also carries a rocking arm 44 adapted to push against an arm 45 on the rock shaft 38. Hence at the appropriatetime the truck 36 is moved into the track of the lcam `flange 40 and the main shaft 2l shoggedto the right. i

As the cam 4I operates on the truck 42 at each I revolution the truck 36 would be pushed into the track of the ange 40 at each revolution, and

latter, and on the main shaft there is a cam 46.-

When the main. shaft is `in its` right-hand position this cam is soplaced yas to engage the arm 44 so that, inthaty revolution, the arm will be rocked to raise its other end clear ofthe lever 45, with the result that the. truckl 36 is not forced outwards into the track of the flange 40, but remains in the track of the flange 35 and the shaft 2| is shogged to the left. This shogging movement to the leftv moves the cam 46 to a position in which it does not operatethe arm 44. Therefore at the next revolution the arm 44 pushes the lever 45 outwards, and the truck 36 is therefore -r moved outwards into' the track of the flange v4I! and the'main'shaft is shogged to the right.

As has already been mentioned, stops 56, 5l' for the carrierrods |31, |41, are provided at each end of themachine. At each end there is one stop for each carrier-rod, it being borne in mind that each .carrier-rod may, and in the majority of machines according to this invention will, have a plurality of carriers attached to it. Because of `the movements which the carrier-rods make in a direction transverse to their length, the end faces of these stops 50, 561, (Fig. 7) are substantiallywvider than normal. The stops are slidably mounted on blocks or supports 5|, SI1, and are each provided with a ,comparatively sharp nose 52, 521, respectively engaging the periphery of an eccentric stepped disc 53, 531, the steps on the periphery of the discs being so arranged as to give the desired shogging motion to the carriers. Each nose is adjustably mounted on the stop and spring means are provided for biassing it against the periphery of the appropriate Adisc. In the case where there are two weft carrier-rods and it is desired to'efect a reciprocal variation in the number of needles in the groups to which the carriers on said two rods feed their yarns, at each end of the machine there are two stops, one for each rod, and two eccentric discs, as shown. 'I'he eccentricity of these discs is opposite, however, so that while one stop such as is adjusted in one direction, the other (such as 501) is adjusted in the opposite direction. The discs may be racked in either forward or reverse direction by a clawker indicated at 54. ,y

Means are also provided for adjusting one carrier-rod |31 endwise through a distance equivalent to the maximum width of one needle group (i. e., equivalent to the maximum number of needles to which a carrier such as I3 on said rod feeds its yarn in any one course and, in the case of a diamond pattern, equivalent to the width of the diamond in the pattern). For this purpose, a removable distance piece 55, (Fig. 7) equal in length to the said maximum width, is provided for insertion between the end of`said carrier rod and its stop 58. 'I'his distance piece is slidably mounted upon a. support 56 for movement in the direction of the length of the carrier rod in'accordance with the movement of the stop, but it is also adjustable'laterally into and out of its obstructive position.

The support for the distance .piece therefore comprises a transverse slide 51 and a cam 58 for moving it in a direction transverse to the movement of the carrier rods. In the retraction of this distance piece to the inoperative position by springs 59 in order to displace the pattern, the cam first Apermits movement of the slide half-way. The carrier-rod |31, at the end of its traverse, therefore hits the end face of the distance piece 'near one edge of the latter, and as the carrier-rod is moved laterally during the passage of 'the carrier through the needles, it moves off said end face. The cam thereupon makes a further movement to permit withdrawal of the distance piece completely, and at the same time a similar piece is inserted at the other end of the frame.

A locating peg 60 is provided to prevent the distance piece 55 from being displaced lengthwise of the carrier rods when in the inoperative position.

The cam 58 is racked by a clawker 6| and the operation of this clawker is determined by a pattern chain 62. n

Additional carriers suchl as 63, 64 on the carrier rods 631, 641 (Figs. 4 and 8) are provided to feed warp or wale thread to the needles in the production of an Argyle pattern, the threads fed thereby being termed embroidery threads. Each one is knitted by one or two needles in each course, and the carriers are so shogged that the embroidery lines formed thereby traverse diagonally as shown at X and Y in Fig. 1. Each embroidery thread carrier is gradually shogged for half the width of Athe division of needles and is then shogged backwards in the reverse direction, there being two carriers on each rod, one rod being shogged in one direction and the other in the opposite direction.

In order to cause the embroidery thread Vcarriers 63, 64 to lap their threads round the needles the carrier rods 631, 641 are also supported in the bock l1 in a like manner to the rods |31, |41. 'I'he shogging of each embroidery rod is controlled by a screw, there being a screw 65 at one end of the machine for the rod 631 and alike screw at the other end of the machine for the rod 641. One screw and its associated mechanism is shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 it being understood that this mechanism (like the 'remainder of the mechanism shown in Fig. '1) is duplicated at the other end of the machine. Mounted in suitable guides above the carrier rods there is a slidable rod 66 carrying a depending iinger 61 adapted to co-operate with a V-shaped slot 68 in the' top edge of the rod 631. As the rod 631 is moved laterally, and is raised and lowered, by reason of the movement of the block this ringer 61 enters and leaves the slot 68. Itis periodically moved (e. g., at each course) through one needle space by the screw 65 and in this manner the embroidery thread carrier 63 is periodically shogged by one needle space. The screw 65 extends through and moves the block 69 which is slidably mounted on the bar 10 and is connected by arm 1| to the rod 66. Attached to the screw there are two oppositely-disposed ratchet wheels 12, 13 with their associated scissor-like clawkers 14, 15. The latter are pivoted at their lower ends upon a block 16 slidably mounted upon a vertical post 18. This block is provided with a truck 19 whereby it is raised and lowered by the cam on the main shaft. According to whichever clawker is operative the screw is turned in one direction or the other and the said clawkers are controlled by a bluff-` ing segment ,8| pivoted to the post 18. This seg ment may fbe turned to bltui either oi.' the clawkers. In the position shown the clawker 14 is bluied.

In order to render one clawker inoperative and the other one operative at each end of the traverse of the embroidery thread carriers (i. e., after one diagonal of the pattern has been completed) stops 82, 83 are provided upon a rod 84 for engagement by the screw block 69. This rod 84 is connected to a lever 85 pivoted at 86 to the top of the post 18. At itslower end said lever 85 is attached to a horizontal lever 81 pivoted at 88 to a bracket on the post, and projecting from said lever 81 through the post 18 are two ,pins 89, 98. Therefore when the block 69 is at one extremity of its travel the lever 81 is moved to cause one pin to project through the post and at the other extremity of its travel is moved to cause the other pin to project through the post. Pivoted on the rising and falling block 16 there is a rocker 9| which, as the block rises, is tilted by one or other of the plungers 89, to force one or other of two pawls 82, 88 outwards. These pawls are arranged to hook over pins 94, 95 on the blufllng segment 8|v andv to rotate' the latter as the` In this manner one or other block T6' descends. of the screw-racking pawls 1,4, 'l5 is bluffed and the other rendered operative. It will be noticed that pins such as 96, 91 project from the outer faces of Ithe ratchet wheels 12, 13v andv each clawker 14, 15 has a finger 98 or 99 for engaging these pins towards the' termination of the' upward stroke ofk said clawker lto ensure that the full movement required is imparted to thescrew '65.

We claim:

1. In a straightbar united needle knitting machine, having aline of needles, a. plurality of weft thread feeders, means for operating them each to supply its thread toa different group of the needles, which groups are contiguous and overlap to the extent of at least .one needle, `,and means for lapping the fed threads around said over-lap needle. f

2. In a straight bar united needle knitting machine for making intarsia fabric with an overlap between adjacent areas, said machine having a plurality of needles; a plurality of thread feeders each arranged to traverse said needles to thev extent of a fabric area; and means arranged to cause said carriers to lap their threads around at least one overlap needle at the ends of their traverse to produce a join between adjacent areas of the intarsia pattern.

3. In a Cottons Patent knitting machine, a plurality of needles; a plurality of yarn carriers arranged to feed weft threads to said needles to produce an integral width of fabric; means for traversing said carriers over different successive groups of said needles in the same course of said integral width of fabric; and means arranged to cause a lapping of said weft threads around the end needles of said groups to produce a join between adjacent areas of said integral Width of fabric.

4. In a united needle straight bar knitting machine, having a line of needles, a plurality of weft thread carriers, means for moving a plurality of -them over diierent consecutive por.

knitting intarsia fabric, a line of needles; a plu-v rality of weft thread carriers arranged to traverse successive groups of said needles to supply thread thereto to be knitted into adjacent areas of the intarsia pattern; and means arranged to swing said carriers transversely at the ends of their traverse of a needle group to lap their threads around a needle to produce a join between the contiguous areas of the intarsia pattern.

6. In a united needle straight-bar knitting machine, a plurality of weft thread carriers, means for moving a plurality of them over different consecutive portions of the line of needles but with an overlap of at least one needle whereby at the end of its traverse at an intermediate point in the line of needles any one carrier supplies its yarn to the first needle to which yarn has been supplied by the next carrier at the commencement of the traverse offsald next carrier, and means, operating before the carriers make their 4reverse thread-laying traverse, for moving the first said carrier from front to back of the needle line, for shogging it at least one needle space, and for moving it from backto front of the needle line.

` 7. In a united needle straight-bar knitting machine, a' plurality vof weft thread carriers, means for moving them over differentconsecutive portions of the line of needles but with an overlap of at least onefneedle between consecutive portions, means forhmoving each carrier, which terminates itsjtraverse at an intermediate point in the line of needles beyond said over-lap needle, from front to back of the needles, for moving or shogging it behind at least one needle, and for moving it from back to front of the needles, said carrier movements repeating course after course.

8. In the combination claimed in claim 3, means for varying the traverse of the carriers and the position of the overlap.A

9. In the combination claimed in claim 7, means for varying the traverse of the carriers and the position of the overl-ap, as between one course and the next, and means for shogging said carrier at the back of the needles in the direction in which the overlap is shifted.

10. In a united needle knitting machine for making intarsial work, means for feeding the threads, of which two adjoining areas are knitted, to an overlap needle in each course, means for shifting the point of overlap course after course, means for passing, in the course preceding each one wherein the overlap is displaced, one of said threads behind the needle which is the overlap needle of said one course, and means for passing the other thread around said overlap needle in said one course.

11. In a united needle straight-bar knitting machine, a plurality of carrier rods, at least one weft thread carrier on each rod, means for traversing said rods and for thereby feeding the yarns from the carriers thereon to different' groups of the needles, which groups are contiguous but overlap to the extent of at least one needle, a yarn from a carrier on one rod being fed to a group of needles which is next to, and overlaps to the extent of at least one needle, a contiguous group to which yarn is fed from a carrier on another of the rods, means for varying the rod traverse to effect a reciprocal variation in the vnumber of needles comprised in each of two of the contiguous groups that are supplied one from a carrier on one rod and the other from a carrier on another rod, and thereby to effect a displacement of the overlap as between one course and the next, and means for lapping the threads around the overlap needle.

12. In a Cottons Patent knitting machine comprising the combination claimed in claim 1, at least one carrier rod on which the said feeders are mounted, asupport for each such rod, through which the latter is slidable for thread laying, and means for moving said support transversely of the line of needles to effect a like movement of the feeders in lapping the threads.

13. A machine according .to claim 3, having two sets of draw mechanisms, one for the carriers and the other for the sinkers.

14. A machine according to claim 3, equipped only with jack sinkers and having a jack sinker at each space between successive needles.

15. In a Cottons Patent knitting machine, the

combination with the mechanism of claim 1, of two carrier rods each carrying at least one of the feeders, stops for the traverse of each rod, and means for adjusting said stops to effect si- `multaneous variations, in opposite directions or combination with the means for traversing the rods, of stop mechanism for variably determining the extent of their traverse, displaceable distance pieces equal in length to the maximum width of a group of needles to which any carrier feeds its thread, for insertion between the rods and the stop mechanism, and means for inserting and withdrawing said distance pieces and for thereby controlling the bodily displacement of the rods over a distance equalk to said maximum width to cause each carrier to feed its thread to a different group of needles.

, v'I'I-IOMAS SMITH.

GEORGE HENRY WOOLLEY. ISAAC HALL. 

